Gift Fic: Hugs Can't Fix Everything
by aya-kun.zeroaddicted
Summary: Jason, injured and seemingly alone in the Manor, walks around seeking anyone. (A Batfam-Christmas-Stocking (tumblr) for Ren.)


**Notes: **Happy holidays! This isn't exactly christmas themed but if christmas to you is love in all it's different ways then yes, this is christmas themed.

A Batfam-Christmas-Stocking (tumblr) for Ren. It's short. And I feel rusty in writing but I hope you like it.

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Jason was wondering the halls of the manor, aches from his sprained arm and bandaged leg, not to mention all the tender places that had matching bruises making themselves known but he was ignoring it. The only reason he was even here right now was because of Alfred and not really because of all the bruises he was sporting. Disappointing his grandfather wasn't something he wanted to do anymore.

Disappointing himself, however, seems to be something he just couldn't give up on. He'd left his soft bed knowing that walking anywhere would be a pain. And would add to his knowing he was being an idiot.

But he'd woken up in pain, alone and surrounded by silence which had unnerved him. He wasn't sure why (Lie. He did know why. He'd expected someone to be there when he woke). And the sudden feeling of being forgotten had given him enough adrenaline to ignore the pain and leave the room, seeking out anyone so he wouldn't be alone. Being in the Manor always meant not being alone, right? If he'd been in his safe-house, it would've been expected. No one ever checked on him there. But he'd stayed here so someone had to be here too, right? Right?

Turning the corner and walking into the kitchen, Jason stopped short as a small person was currently raiding the fridge. Noise of an empty juice box being sucked dry adding to the sound of Tupperware being moved around.

"Uh…"

Damian flinched and nearly hit his head against the fridge. Slowly backing out and standing, he saw Jason, bruises on his face and his arm in a sling and his good hand on his injured leg.

"Tt. It's just you."

"…What, angry your ninja reflexes failed you?" Damian narrowed his eyes at the delayed comeback, however weak it was.

"As it has been stated repeatedly, this is _my_ home." Damian squashed the guilt he felt at Jason's flinch and continued, "I shouldn't need to be on alert."

"Right-o. Of course, they said that." It didn't escape Damian's notice that Jason had stood straighter and dropped his hand to his side. Typical action from any of his family really, to act like nothing was wrong.

"Tt. Sit down before you fall over, Todd. You're already an idiot for walking around with your injuries."

Jason hesitated only for a moment and to Damian's surprise, sat down with a sigh, no bellyaching accompanying it. That was not a good sign. In his experience, his brother was someone who spit in the eye of the devil himself before going down. Also, had father been the one to tell him what to do, Jason was sure to do the opposite even to his own detriment.

And yet there he was, sitting down and actually moving to relieve his leg. Would wonders never seize.

"What were you trying to find?"

"Ingredients for a sandwich."

"Alfred labels everything though…?"

"Tt. If you must know," Jason raised a brow at his purposeful slow talk, like he was an idiot (Damian tried not to envy that brow. It was so much a Pennyworth look, one he'd yet to master). Which, considering he was walking around instead of resting, Damian was justified in thinking he wasn't wrong. "I was looking for other food to prepare."

"For?"

Damian leveled him _a look_. Surely Jason wasn't that clueless. They were currently the only two people left in the Manor. Alfred had given instructions before he'd left to chauffer father to his meetings. Meetings father had been trying to get out of to watch over Jason but he'd already left too much at t. The rest of the family had all gone back to their own places.

Jason continued to look at him like an idiot. Damian rolled his eyes, "For you. Idiot." His brother only stared at him. Damian frowned and felt a little worrying thought squirming inside him. Jason wasn't that obtuse. If anything, he was a smart person. And a strong one. His brother had been smart enough to fight on equal with Batman when he'd come back from mother's training, withstood the madness (mostly) of the Lazarus Pit, survived the fallout and disgusting betrayal of his own blood that lead to his death and everything that followed.

His brother still looked lost.

Grayson was right. Jason was an idiot.

"It's for you. Pennyworth said you would probably be hungry on waking. If you'd just stayed where you were, I'd have brought it up and you wouldn't be the idiot walking around while injured. I was to accompany you while we waited. Pennyworth and Father had _only_ just left," Damian said, exasperated. "You are adding to their worry by walking around heedless of your injury. Honestly, for someone who loves crowing about his healing abilities, you are not impervious to –" Damian stopped abruptly as he stared at Jason.

When Damian stopped talking, Jason, who hadn't known he'd been staring at the floor the whole time, lifted his head in confusion.

And to add to it, Damian looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there and then weirdly enough, looked resolved at staying. Before he knew what was happening, his youngest brother had put down the empty juice box and Tupperware on the kitchen island, walked right up to him and…placed his arms around him. Trapping him. Or not? Damian should know that even injured, Jason was still many pounds and a lot of inches taller than him. Breaking out of the hold would be easy.

Except. It wasn't a hold.

"Are you," Jason had to pause. His throat had clogged up suddenly. Looking down at the young head resting on his chest, he took a deep breath and continued, "Are you hugging me?"

"Tt. How very observant of you." Damian tightened the hug by a little. "Don't you dare let your snot fall on me."

That was when Jason realized he was crying. He'd been so relieved at not being alone, at hearing how he hadn't been purposefully left alone, and that of all the wonders in the world, his little brother had been about to get him some food and willingly (orders or not, if Damian hadn't wanted to, he wouldn't) accompany him while they waited for Bruce and Alfred to come home.

"Hugs can't fix everything, you know." But even as he said that, Jason had already lifted his good arm to return the hug.

"Tt. As Grayson loves to say, 'It helps. A lot.'" Jason watched his little brother's ears turn red. "You looked like you needed it," he said softly.

Resting his head on his baby brother's head, Jason whispered back, "Thanks."

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**Notes: **Apologies for any wrong grammar or mistakes. I finished this at work where I was supposed to be, ya know, working. Except I wasn't. Lol. It's the day after christmas! I was stuck in traffic on the way to work and all during lunch break when I went out to pay bills that were due. XD Roads are probably still experiencing traffic outside the office grounds because our area actually leads to multiple tourist spots. =_=;;

I also made this: [Gift Fanart+Drabble] Stephanie+Jason at University for Lampwickgirl (archiveofourown org / works /22034575)


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